What happened
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters broke three decades of precedent on Wednesday, announcing that the 1.3-million-member labor union would not endorse Kamala Harris or Donald Trump this election. Fourteen Teamster board members voted against endorsing, three wanted to endorse Harris and none favored backing Trump. But surveys the union released on Wednesday showed members backing Trump over Harris nearly two-to-one.
Who said what
Internal polling showed "no majority support" for Harris and "no universal support" among the membership for Trump, the Teamsters said in a statement. Neither Harris nor Trump made "serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before Big Business," said Teamsters President Sean O'Brien in a statement.
The decision is a "blow" to Harris, The New York Times said. She has the "endorsement of the country's other powerful labor unions," but Teamsters backing "could have bolstered the Democrats' ground game in battleground states this fall." O'Brien's equivalence between the two candidates, after his private meeting with Trump and prime-time speaking spot at the Republican National Convention, infuriated some Teamster leaders and rank-and-file. Regional governing councils, Black Teamsters and locals in Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania broke with O'Brien and threw their support behind Harris.
The Biden-Harris administration is "widely viewed by historians as one of the most pro-union in modern U.S. history," while Trump as president "supported a labor agenda that severely restricted union power," The Washington Post said. But for many union workers, "issues such as gun control, abortion and border security override Trump's expressions of hostility to unions," The Associated Press said, citing Wayne State University labor expert Marick Master.
What next?
The opaque Teamster polls, criticized by some leaders as unsound, nevertheless "raises questions about whether other blue-collar unions" that endorsed Harris "harbor similar reservations about her within their ranks," said Politico.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Poland downs Russian drones in NATO airspaceSpeed Read Polish airspace was “violated by a huge number of Russian drones,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said
-
Judge lets Cook stay at Fed while appealing ousterSpeed Read Trump had attempted to fire Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud
-
Israel targets Hamas leaders in Qatar airstrikeSpeed Read Hamas said five low-level leaders were killed in the attack
-
Judge lets Cook stay at Fed while appealing ouster
Speed Read Trump had attempted to fire Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel fedsSpeed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium
-
ICE arrests NYC comptroller at courthouseSpeed Read Brad Lander was held for about four hours before being released
-
Trump ramps up Iran threats, demands 'surrender'Speed Read Trump met with his top aides in the Situation Room on Tuesday
-
ABA sues Trump over 'law firm intimidation policy'Speed Read Trump has 'used the vast powers of the executive branch to coerce lawyers,' the lawsuit said
-
Judge orders Trump's NIH grant cuts reversedSpeed Read Trump had attempted to slash more than $1 billion in research grants
-
Trump leaves G7 early, warns Tehran to evacuateSpeed Read Trump claimed to have left the summit due to ongoing issues in the Middle East
-
Trump tells ICE to hit blue cities, spare farms, hotelsSpeed Read Trump has targeted New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles among other cities
